Abstract
Drought has become an important natural disaster, affecting the development of Inner Mongolia, as an important animal husbandry region in China. In this study, the characteristics and trends of the Inner Mongolia drought are thoroughly analysed by calculating the standardised precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) at different time scales, based on monthly precipitation and temperature data from 40 national meteorological stations in Inner Mongolia from 1958 to 2019. Subsequently, the area drought intensity (ADI), which is a comprehensive evaluation indicator for evaluating drought intensity within the region, is proposed, taking into account the effects of the persistent drought on drought intensity. The results show that drought has increased during this period, with a remarkable increase in the frequency and the area of drought. The areas with stronger drought intensity are mainly located in the west, north central, and the western area of the east. Since 2000, March to October are identified as drought-prone months and April is characterised as the month with the highest frequency of drought. The inflection points of SPEI and climate conditions both appeared in 1990s and it is speculated that the increase in drought may have been caused by excessive temperature rise. The frequency, coverage area, and continuous duration of drought have increased greatly after climate mutation in this region. According to the changes in the spatial distribution of the ADI and frequency of drought occurrence, the drought-stricken areas shifted from the southeast to the northwest after climate mutations. The findings from this study provide a theoretical basis for the drought management of Inner Mongolia.
Highlights
Drought is a complex and multivariate phenomenon influenced by diverse physical and biological processes [1], whose characteristics vary significantly with geography and climate [2]
In order to better reflect the degree of damage, caused by drought, and its spatial distribution, this study considers the impact of continuous drought on the drought intensity on the basis of the standardised precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) to identify the area drought intensity (ADI)
This study aims to (1) analyse the drought situation in Inner Mongolia from 1958 to
Summary
Drought is a complex and multivariate phenomenon influenced by diverse physical and biological processes [1], whose characteristics vary significantly with geography and climate [2]. As a recurring natural disaster, drought is difficult to identify, (including the start, end, extent, and intensity), predict, and mitigate [3]. Drought has many negative effects on agriculture, animal husbandry, water resources, as well as natural and social ecosystems [4]. The multiple severe and long-lasting droughts in South. El Niño-Southern Oscillation, Asian monsoons and tropical Atlantic sea surface temperatures have played a large role in the recent drying [5], and the additional presence of a positive Indian Ocean dipole event severely exacerbates El Niño’s drought-inducing effect over. Water 2020, 12, 1715 large areas of monsoon and temperate Asia, including Southeast Asia, Indonesia, eastern China and much of continental Asia north and west of the Himalayas [6]. Studies have identified the presence of a widespread drought at the global land level, with the most severe drought in Eurasia and Africa [7]
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